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PORTO ALEGRE Cheap AC Milan Soccer Shirts , Brazil (AP) — Copa America guest teams Japan and Qatar are still in contention as the last round of group stage matches begins, and some of their South American opponents aren’t too pleased.Qatar and Japan, who met in the Asian Cup final in February, are in third place in their groups. The top two in each of the three groups qualifies for the quarterfinals but only the two best third-place finishers advance.If winless Argentina is prematurely eliminated, Group B rival Qatar could be responsible after being given entry to the Copa America to help preparations for the 2022 World Cup.Asian champion Qatar has so far drawn with Paraguay 2-2 and lost to Colombia 1-0.“We have come to compete, not to take pictures, even if we admire the players of the teams we are facing,” Qatar’s Spanish coach Felix Sanchez said on Saturday. “Our main goal is to evaluate ourselves in a tournament of this caliber, so demanding.”Sanchez’s team on Sunday has the chance to upset Lionel Messi’s Argentina, which has only one point from two games.“It would be beautiful to qualify no matter if it is against a monster like Argentina Cheap Arsenal Soccer Jerseys ,” said Sanchez, whose contract was extended until 2022 after winning the Asian Cup. “It will be a great step, even though we know they are also trying to advance to the next stage.”The Qataris have already been invited to return to next year’s Copa, which is being hosted by Colombia and Argentina. Australia will be another guest side.Japan has brought an under-23 team to Brazil that is being groomed for the Tokyo Olympics next year.Japan was thrashed by Chile 4-0 but held favorite Uruguay to 2-2 after leading twice. On Monday the young Japanese can eliminate Ecuador to advance and, depending on other results, possibly face host Brazil in the quarterfinals on Thursday.Venezuela coach Rafael Dudamel is particularly upset with Japan’s decision to bring its Olympic team.“I do not agree that a guest like Japan gives due importance to its participation by coming with players that are mostly under 23,” Dudamel said Saturday after Venezuela beat Bolivia 3-1 and qualified to the quarterfinals of Copa America.“I raise my voice and say Copa America needs to be only for South American teams,” he added. “We have not seen South American teams be invited to the African Cup of Nations, tournaments in Europe… We have to respect the hierarchy that we have historically built.”There is nothing unusual about guest teams being invited to the Copa America.Mexico, Costa Rica www.thetopsoccer.com/as-roma , United States, Jamaica, Honduras, Panama, Canada and Japan have all contested past editions. Mexico had the best result among those, reaching the final in 1993 and in 2001.Still, Paraguay coach Eduardo Berizzo said he doesn’t like the idea of teams outside of the Americas being given slots.“Playing among all American teams, that is logic,” Berizzo said after drawing Qatar. “We should think of a Copa America with Central and North Americas integrated. I never saw any European cup with South American teams. I strongly believe that Copa America needs to be played by American teams.”Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said business was the main reason to invite teams to the Copa America.“We are few countries in South America to organize a tournament with 10 teams, even more so with four phases like in a World Cup Cheap Atletico Madrid Soccer Jerseys ,” Tabarez said. MILAN (AP) — From soccer flops to the brink of making history, Italy has come a long way in the two years since its embarrassing failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.Italy had already qualified for the 2020 European Championship — with three matches to spare — but Tuesday’s 5-0 win at Liechtenstein saw the Azzurri match the national team’s record of nine straight wins set under Vittorio Pozzo between 1938-39.Victory against Bosnia-Herzegovina next month will establish a new all-time mark for the Azzurri.“I’m not interested in the record for consecutive wins, it would mean more to win two World Cups and an Olympics like he (Pozzo) did, but I’d settle for the European Championship,” Italy coach Roberto Mancini said with a smile.It was nearly two years ago that Italy lost a playoff to Sweden and failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup — leaving the four-time champion out of soccer’s biggest tournament for the first time in 54 years.It hasn’t all been plain sailing under Mancini, who was tasked with restoring the mentality and confidence in a team that had lost its way under his predecessor Gian Piero Ventura.The enormity of the job was illustrated by the fact Mancini managed just one win in his first eight matches in charge. That came against Saudi Arabia, which was also the only team against which Italy managed to score more than one goal.However, little by little Mancini has instilled an attacking mentality and youthful energy into the group.Italy has won all eight of its qualifying matches in Group J, scoring 25 goals and conceding just three in the process. It also beat the United States in a friendly last year.Nearly half those goals have come in the two matches against Liechtenstein and Andrea Belotti scored twice again on Tuesday, just as he did in the 6-0 victory earlier in the campaign.“This side is lucky for me Cheap Barcelona Soccer Jerseys ,” Belotti said. “Two goals like last time. I’m very happy, for our performance above all. We did what the coach asked of us.“You can see that there’s a more confident Italy side with desire to do what the coach wants, the group is following his ideas. We’re showing some good stuff on the pitch after what happened two years ago.”Belotti will be competing with Ciro Immobile for a starting spot at Euro 2020 but he claims there is no rivalry with his former Torino teammate.“Ciro is a great friend even off the pitch,” said Belotti, who ran up and hugged Immobile (an unused substitute) after scoring. “We are also roommates.”As well as the five goals and matching the record, there were other positives to take from the game.There were debuts for two more players as Napoli defender Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Brescia midfielder Sandro Tonali became the 19th and 20th players to make their international debut under Mancini.While Tonali was given only 16 minutes, Di Lorenzo played the full match and also set up Belotti’s second in an impressive performance from the 26-year-old.“I’m happy for the whole team, it was important to keep this run of wins going,” Di Lorenzo said. “We’re a good group and there’s a good atmosphere and it’s easy for the new guys to fit in.“I owe a lot to (Napoli coach Carlo) Ancelottti, he’s put faith in me since the first game and I’m also here thanks to him. Now Cheap Bayern Munich Soccer Shirts , it’s on me to keep doing well for Napoli and the Azzurri.”Many young players are competing for places. Mancini made 10 changes to the team that beat Greece on Saturday, keeping only Marco Verratti.The Paris Saint-Germain midfielder was handed the captain’s armband as he was the most experienced player in the team — with just 35 caps.“If they’re here, it’s because we believe in these players,” Mancini said. “In June, however, some good players will have to stay at home.“They’ll get other chances, we’ll look to improve as a team and then we’ll see. It makes me happy that the guys have great relationships with one another.”